Sexual Harassment / Workplace Harassment in Houston

There are many forms of illegal harassment in the workplace, but sexual harassment is one of the most widely discussed issues in employment law. Sexual harassment is considered a form of sex discrimination under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act and includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Both state and federal laws protect workers from sexual harassment.

If you need advice on an employment law issue, including a harassment case, you should speak with a Houston employment lawyer. Houston employment lawyers can assess your legal issue and can even file a claim on your behalf. You can find a local lawyer by viewing FindLaw's directory of Houston employment lawyers.

As an employer, the last thing you want is an employment lawsuit
stemming from an unfortunate incident on Valentine’s Day.

It’s wise to have a look at your workplace policies and send out an advisory
to the employees a few days before Valentine’s Day. If you’re realizing now that you should have handled Valentine’s Day differently this year, here are a few things you
should consider to prevent
sexual harassment lawsuits next year:

Now that the holiday parties have started, it becomes more important than ever for employers to educate themselves on sexual harassment.

Since employers can be on the hook if an employee sexually harasses another, what should employers know about what is, and isn't, appropriate? Thomson Reuters' Accounting Web has some pointers on this. But first, let's look at the concept of sexual harassment.

Where do people get their ideas about what to do after doing something illegal? It's almost like someone's out there giving horrible advice to people such as, "If you commit a crime, the best thing to do is commit another one," or "Threats make witnesses go away."

Whatever the case may be, Donald Ballard, night manager of a Waffle House in Slidell, La., made matters worse when he allegedly texted a picture of his penis to employee Charmaine Anderson, and then threatened to stab her if she reported it, according to Courthouse News Service. Ballard also allegedly pressured other waitresses to have sex with him, and asked one particular waitress if he could pay to have sex with her, according to Anderson's sexual harassment lawsuit.

Luby's Cafeteria is a great place to grab a bite after church on Sunday. It's just a nice wholesome restaurant where you can get some grub with the family. So why is Houston-based Luby's at the center of a sexual harassment lawsuit?

Jennifer Nelson claims a Luby's general manager created a hostile work environment and Luby's itself failed to prevent the sexual harassment, according to The Southeast Texas Record. Nelson claims the manager offered to buy her a car because she drove him crazy and told her he wanted to be the next guy she had intercourse with.

Nelson also claims that when she rejected the manager's advances, he retaliated by allegedly telling another associate manager that he planned to reduce her hours until she quit or was fired. Let's see if she has a good claim.

You know Buffalo Wild Wings -- or B-Dubs as it likes to be called -- it's known for its wings. You could also say it's like Hooters, but without the orange hot pants.

It seems like an employee at B-Dubs thought that he was working at Hooters when he started sexually harassing hospitality manager Michelle Kromer. Managment told her to "play along," according to the Southeast Texas Record. Kromer claims that when she made it clear that she was not going "play along" that she was quickly fired.

B-Dubs allegedly terminated her for the unauthorized use of a gift card. Let's see if Kromer has a case.

In June, a Texas appeals court dismissed a gender discrimination suit filed against the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) brought by former nurse Nicole Petteway, according to KHOU. The case was brought after Petteway was fired after the ending of an extramarital affair between her and fellow nurse Leon McGrew began to affect the workplace, with McGrew filing a sexual harassment claim, according to Galveston's The Daily News.

According to the Daily News, there were multiple confrontations between workers and the two lovers that ended the relationship. The News continues, once the relationship was over the two agreed to speak only about business, but that did not last. The story ends with McGrew filing multiple complaints against Petteway, resulting in Petteway's termination for violations of the sexual harassment policy, according to the News.

Texas' EEOC filings have steadily risen during the three years of available data. During fiscal year 2009, they had 8,748 claims, or 9.4% of claims in the U.S. In 2010, they had 9,310, or 9.3%. For 2011, the numbers jumped to 9,952, or 10% of the nation's claims.

The data sets also provide numbers and percentages of types of claims. Out of the EEOC provided categories, these are the five most popular claims for 2011. Because some litigants claim multiple forms of discrimination, there may be people who are in multiple categories.

Getting to become a franchise owner is a long and difficult process, involving training, traveling, and tremendous amount of capital. Given the high stakes involved, it is therefore valuable to know what to do with respect to your employees when you finally do have your fast food franchise.

Thankfully, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission is out there to provide guidance to fast food franchises. Some of the lessons you should take away can be found in three recent lawsuits that the EEOC brought against a McDonald’s, a Burger King, and a Wendy’s.

About The Houston Employment Law Blog

The Houston Employment Law Blog is an excellent resource for workers wanting to know more information about employee rights and state-specific employment laws in the Lone Star state. Those who live in Houston or the state of Texas can learn more about Houston employment laws through news updates and specific employment cases that are covered in this blog. Have a comment or tip? Write to us.